Informational Book Review: Charleyboy, Lisa, editor.; Leatherdale, Mary Beth, editor. #NOTYOURPRINCESS

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Charleyboy, Lisa, editor.; Leatherdale, Mary Beth, editor. #NOTYOURPRINCESS. 2017. CANADA. Annick Press. ISBN 978-1-55451-958-3. 

PLOT SUMMARY 

Stories of American Indian women of stereotyping and humiliation through poems, photos, and songs, share the struggles and injustices these women have faced and speak out for a hopeful change to the future.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

The collection of poems, photos, personal stories, songs and more allow Native American women to share their stories from injustices to triumphs. Each contribution is unique and encourages further reading as the visuals complement the text. The progression from past to present is shown in the hashtag title, representing this important topic in today’s digital and social media age. The headings lead the collection from a beginning of collected experiences of historical pain to an ending of hope for the future of Native American women. Attractive images, personal memory journal entries, photographs of contributors all make for a page turner layout. Charleyboy, includes her own reflection of hope for the future generations. The contributors to the book are all listed at the back of the book with a description of who they are. Credit is given to the artwork as well.  

EXCERPTS/ AWARDS 

American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2018 

Booklist, 09/15/17 

Kirkus Reviews starred, 07/15/17 

School Library Journal starred, 09/01/17 

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) starred, 02/01/18 

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults-Nominees, 2018 

Booklist (September 15, 2017 (Vol. 114, No.2)): “The book includes examples of an array of occupations and experiences from professional athletes to social reformers and politicians that readers have likely never heard of.” 

Kirkus Reviews starred (July 15, 2017): “The tapestry of voices addresses reclaiming Indigenous rights, overcoming abandonment, and abuse, navigating mixed identity, and cultural appropriation; there is also an homage to 13- year-old Anna Lee Rain Yellowhammer, a young water protector who gathered more than a quarter-million signatures to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.” 

School Library Journal (September 1, 2017): “Each entry it titles and accompanied by the author’s name showing the multiplicity of Indigenous identity through social media.” 

CONNECTIONS 

This collection of various entries kept me engaged as each story was a different one. I believe this is perfect for the young adult audience.  

Sharing this book amongst other women studies books will be a great representation of the Native American women.  

Displaying this book amongst other Native American authors during November which is Native American awareness month will be an ideal showcase for this book.  

Juettner, Bonnie. 100 NATIVE AMERICANS WHO SHAPED AMERICAN HISTORY. ISBN 978-0-912517-51-3.  

Keene, Adrienne. NOTABLE NATIVE PEOPLE: 50 INDIGENOUS LEADERS, DREAMERS, AND CHANGEMAKERS FROM PAST AND PRESENT. ISBN: 978-1-984857-94-1. 

Dowd, James, THUNDERS SPEAK: BIOGRAPHIES OF NINE SPECIAL ORIGINAL PEOPLE. ISBN: 978-0-7884-1135-9. 

Historical Fiction Book Review on BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY Written by: Sepetys, Ruta

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY. New York. The Penguin Group. ISBN 978-0-399-25412-3 

PLOT SUMMARY 

Line, a fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl, interested in art school is suddenly forced to pack her bags with only essentials along with her mother and brother who are taken by the Soviet police. Their destination, Siberia, is a journey that would test their physical and emotional strength. Their father is sent to prison without their knowing of his whereabouts or destination. The conditions at the camps are poor, they are mistreated and punished severely. Her love for drawing helped her document her torturous experiences and gave her hope she’d contact her father. The faith in reuniting as a family kept her motivated to fight for her life with the hopes of returning to their homeland. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

The journey of their life as prisoners of the Soviet Union gives reference to the history of Lithuania’s occupation in 1941 forcing the people on the list to be imprisoned and taken to Siberia by NVKD officers. Lina’s character as a fifteen-year-old is very relatable to the young adult audience as she develops a first crush; however, because of her survival situation she is forced to grow up quickly and make difficult decisions risking her life to find her father and to nourish herself or her family, even strangers. Her mother manages to stay strong and helpful to everyone until she can’t. Lina sees her family aging at a fast rate because of the labor-intensive toll their bodies have taken. Their time spent on the train being forced to relieve themselves through a hole with minimal space while trying to remain calm when there was unknown certainty of their safety gives the story its lamentable survival theme and dark setting.  

Written in first person narrative, we feel Lina’s emotions of longing as she reflects on her flashbacks to the happy family memories in her home as well as the horrible sense of violation when a guard inappropriately touched her making her angry and “felt dirtier on the inside than the outside”. This historical fiction story is filled with strong emotions of pain, struggle, violence, hope and love. Love for each other is what carried them enduring daily pain to return home. Black and white maps of the journey with a timeline map offer the reader the opportunity to follow their way from country to country and an author’s note provides information on the research that went into creating the fictional character’s story.  

REVIEWS /EXCERPT(S) 

Booklist Starred, 02/01/11 

Horn Book Magazine, 10/01/11 

Kirkus Reviews starred, 01/15/11 

School Library Journal, 09/01/11 

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) 04/01/11 

Booklist starred (February 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 11): “Sepetys’ first novel offers a harrowing and horrifying account of the forcible relocation of countless Lithuanians in the way of the Russian invasion of their country in 1939.” 

Horn Book Magazine (May/June, 2011): “So begins a human drama calling forth the best and worst of human behaviors—courage, anger, fear, confusion, little kindnesses, and engregious selfishness.” 

School Library Journal (September 1, 2011): “Ruta Sepety's excellent novel (Philomel, 2011) depicts a lesser-known aspect of World War II and its impact on the citizens of the Baltic States.” 

CONNECTIONS

This historical fiction story is a great read for the young adult audience. The narrative is easy to follow and filled with shocking events that had me crying because of the suffering Lina and all the people like her endured.  

The history of the Russian takeover of 1939 may be unfamiliar to a reader; therefore, providing patrons websites such as britannica.com can help them read further into and get more details than what was mentioned in the book, although it was explained very well.  

This book offers a good discussion on racial discrimination, overcoming adversity and perseverance.  

Sepetys, Ruta. ASHES IN THE SNOW. ISBN 978-1-72541-214-4 

Scott, Marina. THE HUNGER BETWEEN US. ISBN 979-83-687-0728-0 

Savit, Gavriel. ANNA AND THE SWALLOW MAN. ISBN 978-151819-043-8  

Historical Fiction Book Review, IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE Written By: Gansworth, Eric.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Gansworth, Eric. 2013. IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE. New York. Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 978-0-545-41730-3.  

PLOT SUMMARY 

Lewis, a 7th grade Tuscarora boy who excels in school has a chance to graduate and become more than what is expected of him considering the stereotypes of reservation kids. He was used to being invisible and made attempts to look less like his Indian heritage by cutting his long braid or making nicknames to make friends but ends in failed attempts. When George Haddonfield, an air force base kid arrives at his school, they become friends sharing interests in music and eventually confide in one another with deeper topics such as girls. A bully becomes Lewis’ and George’s problem and is overlooked when Lewis speaks out but taken seriously when Geroge’s father gets involved. Their friendship is a special one as Mr. Haddonfield takes interest in supporting their love for music and helping him as he is closer to knowing all the odds against reservation kids run up against. When the inevitable day of George’s relocation comes, the boys who come from different worlds find consolation in the memories they created and shared with one another.   

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Lewis tells his story through first person narrative and describes his life as a reservation kid as one of a poor family, abandoned by their father, and faces racial prejudices common of the 1970’s. Although embarrassed by his looks, which he tries to change, he happily attends Indian ceremonies, markets and fire ball games which he introduced to George and his father. Although the boys are friends, Lewis manages to come up with excuses to avoid letting his best friend see the conditions of his old and worn-down house. He limits his interactions where transportation on his behalf must be provided, and he relies on his uncle Albert to be there for him when his mom, who worked a lot, couldn’t be.  

The story takes place between school and their homes. We see contrasting lifestyles from the reservation to the Air Force Base where George’s German mother keeps their home tidy whereas Lewis’ home is patched up, no running water and deteriorating conditions. When the winter storm hits, George and Mr. Haddonfield look to Lewis’ family’s generosity in seeking shelter. We see their friendship grow as George becomes aware of their lifestyle and his dad reveals the truth to his life living on a reservation camp in Minnesota, but as a child of educators which he was not allowed to attend reservation schools and lives separately but within the reservation. George himself did not know this and brought about many secret revelations. Through their love for music, the boys shared a true friendship that opened their eyes to two different worlds.  

REVIEWS /EXCERPT(S) 

American Indian Youth Literature Honor, 2014 

Booklist starred, 09/01/13 

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 09/01/13 

Horn Book Magazine, 04/01/14

Kirkus Reviews, 06/15/13 

School Library Journal, 09/01/13 

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 10/01/13 

Booklist Starred (September 1, 2013 (Vol. 110, No. 1): “And although Gansworth manages the weighty themes of racism and poverty with nuance and finesse, at its heart, this is a rare and freehearted portrait of true friendship.” 

Horn Book Magazine (March/April 2015): “Gansworth turns on a “reservation accent” when voicing Lewis’s uncle Albert, and he offers variations in tone for other characteristics, including a slight German accent for George’s mother.” 

Kirkus Reviews (June 15, 2013): “Gansworth’s debut for young people is a worthy exploration of identity and friendship between middle school boys who line in different worlds.” 

CONNECTIONS 

This story of true friendship resonates with young middle school audiences. The dialogue makes for an easy read and the happy ending is a heartwarming one. 

Lewis’s willingness to go to great lengths to cover up his life in poverty shows and his lack of success in dealing with bullying are real and do affect kids' self-esteem, but the friendship and kindness of George and his father show how true friendship can help get you difficult times.  

American Indian Month is in November, and it is a great time to showcase this book alongside other Native American authors.  

Nielsen, Jennifer A. ICEBERG. ISBN 978-1-33879-502-8 

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. THE NIGHT WAR. ISBN 978-0-7352-2856-6 

Gratz, Alan. REFUGEE. ISBN 978-0-545-88083-1  

Historical Fiction Book Review- THE REVOLUTION OF EVELYN SERRANO written by Manzano, Sonia.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Manzano, Sonia. 2012. THE REVOLUTION OF EVELYN SERRANO. New York. Scholastic Press. ISBN 978-0-545-32505-9. 

PLOT SUMMARY 

The 14-year-old girl who decided to be called Evelyn instead of her full Puerto Rican name, lives in Spanish Harlem with her conservative parents who own a bodega. She chooses not to work in the family business; instead, takes a job at the Five and Dime. Her grandmother, who she’s never met, visits and decides to stay a while. During this time, protests in Spanish Harlem begin with the Young Lords trying to help the community with daycare and food programs, her grandmother who is an activist becomes involved and Evelyn follows in her footsteps. Her parents are not pleased with her involvement, but eventually find a way to support her. The protests become dangerous and violent, making Evelyn’s choices of breaking out of her culture more complicated. This political revolution opens her eyes to her own internal struggle and helps ger get back to her Hispanic roots at the same time standing up for Puerto Rican injustices alongside her family.  

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Evelyn, the teen protagonist, is a very relatable character with the young adult audience. Her tense relationship with her mother and stepfather is a common theme with young adults. She is exposed to activism by her grandmother, which complicates this relationship even more. The Latino culture is evident throughout as the description of their foods, home decor, Spanish words and customs are representative of Puerto Rican customs. The Young Lords, a political activist group, is described as natural and wild and causes Evelyn to appreciate her natural hair, which she once didn’t. She began wearing jeans, which was the attire for the young activists and didn’t sit well with her stepfather. El barrio is represented as a working-class area with immigrants selling cultural foods such as piraguas (frozen ices) and bacalaitos fritos (fried codfish). The smell, as Evelyn described it, was of lack of garbage pickup upkeep.  

The young lords brought attention to El Barrio by sweeping up the sidewalks and eventually gathering it in the middle of the roads and lighting it on fire which was their first significant event and sets the tone for their fight for rights of the community. The young lords come to an agreement after multiple encounters of refusal but come to a violent end as Evelyn witnesses and experiences the violence of the fight for rights with a gash to her eyebrow as she was caught in the cross hairs. Her grandmother, who chose to stay at the rally instead of accompanying Evelyn to the hospital, is a feeling all too familiar to her mother who grew up being put aside so she could live her activist lifestyle. Evelyn’s grandfather, a patrol man in Puerto Rico, followed orders to shoot nationalists who were protesting in the Ponce Massacre of 1937 the attack on the nationalists.  

The history of the Ponce Massacre is told throughout the story through recollections of her grandmother’s memories and photographs. This significant event was mentioned throughout the story as it was the reason for Evelyn’s grandmother to become involved in fighting for innocent people. The photographs in the newspaper articles of this historical event were part of her grandmother’s memories which are taken in secret as her mother wanted to protect her from the family’s history. The style of the story is an easy one to read and the conversations she has with her friends and family are interesting as their culture is present throughout. The story ends in a hopeful ending as Evelyn’s own revolution is more of a personal evolution and learns to love herself (reverting to her natural name), she learns to accept her grandmother's lifestyle, her parents stand by her decisions and are hopeful for the future of El Barrio. The author’s note explains how she found her way to advocate for social change and the creation of this fictional book. She also offers articles listed in the “for further reading” section with links available for free to read.  

 

REVIEWS /EXCERPT(S) 

Booklist starred, 10/15/12 

Horn Book Magazine, 04/01/13 

Kirkus Reviews starred, 10/01/12 

Pura Belpre Author Honor, 2013 

School Library Journal, 11/01/12 

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 10/01/12 

 

Booklist starred (October 15, 2012 (Vol. 109, No. 4): “Starting with the title, this wry, moving debut novel does a great job of blending the personal and the political without denigrating either.” 

 

Horn Book Magazine starred (Spring 2013): “Based on true events, the 1969-set story develops organically through well-realized fictional characters dealing with complex family dynamics.” 

 

Kirkus Reviews starred (October 1, 2012): “The author effectively captures this shifting perception in the dialogue and Evelyn’s first-person narration.” 

 

CONNECTIONS 

This historical fiction book is an easy read and very relatable to the young adult audience as relationship strains with family and oneself are typical at this stage in a young person’s life.  

 

This book offers a great opportunity for conversation in protest movements. Offering students guidance on how to research more on the Ponce Massacre of 1937 would give students a better understanding of this significant historical event from the book.  

Displaying this book during the Hispanic Heritage Month during September and October will be a great way to showcase this Hispanic author. Making the link for her website available can also help readers get to know the author more.  https://soniamanzano.com/ 

Peck, Richard. A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO: A NOVEL IN STORIES. ISBN 978-1-41552-637-8 

Perkins, Lynne Rae. CRISS CROSS. ISBN 978-0-329-64218-1 

Universal Design for Learning: April Cervantes

   Universal Design for Learning  

April-Renee H. Cervantes     

      Teaching can be overwhelming when trying to meet the needs of the many different learners in your classroom. Universal design for learning, an approach to provide multiple means of engagement, representation and action to help learners succeed in their tasks at hand (The UDL guidelines 2024). Learning to be flexible with the way students learn and removing any barriers to comprehension are pivotal to the UDL framework. Robinson mentioned in his article, “ UDL as a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that: Provides flexibility in the ways information is presented” and “reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports and challenges” (Robinson, Universal design for learning and school libraries 2017). After reading more about UDL, I realized there is a lot of room for growth in the way I present information and how I can give students multiple and varied opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge. 

This year I did a very diligent job of using UDL guideline Checkpoint 1.1- “Offers ways of customizing the display information,” as I have a student who is visually impaired under SPED and so I would sit him in close proximity to the IFP and I increased the font size of his iPad because after discussion with his vision coach we determined he was struggling to accurately tap on his iPad even with glasses.  

I believe what I could add right now to better support my student would be to make a custom overlay for touch screens and keyboards as mentioned in Checkpoint 4.2 “optimize access to tools and assistive technology. I came upon a YouTube video on creating a tactile overlay for iPad and thought it was so interesting, but this is something I would need to work with the visual coach to see if it were something that would help him achieve his goals.  

Checkpoint 2.4- “Promote understanding across languages,” would be something that I would love to implement, however I believe it would be something that I need help with. Being able to embed visual, non-linguistic support for vocabulary clarification sounds very helpful for my ELL’s and although I do have vocabulary cards up on the wall, using embedded vocabulary support seems more complicated than I expect and would need either professional development support myself or I would need to research and investigate more into this.  

Reflecting on my year and learning more about UDL I believe I could have given my students more support in accommodations and support for their learning during center rotation time. I think back to this period of the day when they oversaw their own work and all I remember is the multiple questions on how to decode a word and even with that linguistic support they wouldn’t know the meaning of the word with images provided.  

Upon researching UDL articles I came across the book by Loui Lord Nelson and related very much to this part of the book for removing barriers, “When looking through the UDL lens, you see the hard copy text as a barrier. You realize that you have resources available to you, which means you can make more resources available to them, maybe you use partner readers. Maybe you find a video on YouTube that provides the background information necessary for understanding the experiment.” (Nelson, Design and deliver: Planning and teaching using Universal Design for Learning 2021). This made me realize how I can make it easier for my students to be successful on their own. I realized how my students were either getting the answer from someone else or completely misunderstanding the lesson until I gave corrective feedback. What I would like to do would be to teach students to use the text-to-speech function on their iPad and know how to navigate through a dictionary application. I found a YouTube video on how to turn on the text to speech function which was very helpful and something I’d have to do manually per iPad. After being taught how to use this function students will be able to get immediate help for any text in question when navigating their iPad.  

Teaching students the many ways a dictionary application is helpful will give them the opportunity to type in a word, hear its pronunciation and see images corresponding to the word through related article. This will set them up to become empowered learners. I looked into the Mirriam Webster for Kids webpage and thought this would be a great resource to teach and thumbnail to the iPad dock. The students can also use the text-to-speech function for the definition parts that are not audible. Nelson mentions how, “...expert learners are identified as purposeful, motivated, resourceful, knowledgeable, strategic and goal oriented”(Nelson, Design and deliver: Planning and teaching using Universal Design for Learning 2021). Giving students the opportunity to learn how to be resourceful using these resources will help them inside and outside the classroom and beyond their school years.  

 

Resources: 

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Find definitions written for kids. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/kids 

Nelson, L. L. (2021). Design and deliver: Planning and teaching using Universal Design for Learning. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. 

Robinson, D. E. (2017). Universal design for learning and school libraries. A Logical Partnership, 46(1), 57–61. 

The UDL guidelines. UDL. (2024, May 14). https://udlguidelines.cast.org/ 

YouTube. (2014, December 10). Creating a tactile overlay for the iPad. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3OOqSAGnvs 

YouTube. (2020, May 11). Using text to speech feature on the iPad. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyIvYxhn0uc